Deadline at hand for holiday lights
The deadline for The New Era’s annual Christmas lights and yard decoration contest is closing in: 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Here’s how to participate: Identify one or more houses and/or yards that are decorated to the point that you consider them worthy of going out of one’s way to see. Tell us where they are and give us your name and phone number.
Your name will be entered in a drawing for a prize package from The New Era, and the property you tell us about will go on a list that will be published in the Dec. 17 edition of The New Era.
Prize packages that will include a year’s subscription to the newspaper and more goodies will go to the winner of the contest and one person who has submitted a nomination.
Judging of lights and yard displays will be conducted by members of the Sweet Home Senior Center, who will be bused to the locations on the list and will rate them as they see fit.
Their pick for the top decorating job will be deemed the winner.
To submit entries, e-mail us with the information listed above at [email protected], call us at (541) 367-2135, or walk in at 1313 Main St.
Tax counselors
sought by AARP
AARP Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free volunteer-run preparation and e-filing service is seeking volunteers to assist in tax preparations. All ages and backgrounds are welcome and volunteers are particularly needed in Sweet Home and Lebanon.
Tax counselors get free tax training and become Internal Revenue Service certified by passing the IRS exam. They help taxpayers one-on-one at tax sites at four sites in Linn County. Volunteers are also needed to greet the taxpayers and assist them in filling out an intake form.
Training is held in January for two weeks but new this year will be two Saturday classes in Linn County to accommodate those who cannot attend two full weeks.
For more information on joining the Tax-Aide team, contact Jan Huskey, 541-928-3068:email [email protected] or visit http://www.aarp.org/taxaide to register online.
Hospital seeks first baby basket items
Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital is inviting businesses in its service area to contribute toward a gift basket for the first baby born at each hospital in 2015.
Each hospital has a tradition of giving a gift basket to the parents of the first baby born every year. The hospitals’ maternity teams contribute gifts toward the basket, and local businesses have generously donated gift certificates, stuffed animals or other gifts in the past.
Deadline to contribute is Tuesday, Dec. 30 at noon.
For more information, call Ian Rollins, Public Relations, at 541-451-7161 or 541-812-4638.
Christmas photo with your dog
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is offering a Christmas photo shoot with your dog from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at the Linn County Animal Shelter, 3008 Ferry St. SW, Albany.
Get into the holiday spirit with your family dog and help the shelter animals at the same time.
Santa will be present for pictures with your dog. The photo shoot is being donated by So Fly Sports Photography and the photos will be emailed to the dog owner.
Dr. Nichole DeBellis and her staff from Oregon Mobile Veterinary Services will also be at the event to provide low-cost vaccines for your dog from 1 to 5 p.m.
Any proceeds received by donation will go towards the care of shelter animals.
For more information, contact Capt. Kevin Guilford at (541) 967-3950.
‘The Nutcracker’
ballet live at LBCC
Legacy Ballet will perform the classic holiday production of “The Nutcracker” at Linn-Benton Community College’s Russell Tripp Performance Center, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany, Dec. 11 and 12 at 7 p.m., and Dec. 13 at 2 and 7 p.m.
An annual tradition, Legacy Ballet brings the magic of “The Nutcracker” to Linn and Benton counties for a third year, in partnership with LBCC’s Russell Tripp Performance Center.
Legacy’s performance will feature adult and children dancers from the community. Established in Albany in 2008, the dance company offers ballet, jazz, hip-hop, modern and tap dance for ages 3 through adult.
Tickets are $14 general admission with a portion of the proceeds to benefit FISH of Albany. Purchase online at http://www.linnbenton.edu/russelltripptheater. Tickets are also available at the theater Box Office, by phone at (541) 917-4531, or one hour prior to the performance. Box Office hours the week of the performance are 1 to 4 p.m.
Squarenaders plan Christmas dance
Sweet Home Squarenaders will hold a “Christmas Benefit and New Dancers Square Dance” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec.13, at Oak Heights School gym at 6th Avenue and Elm Street.
The Plus begins at 7:30 p.m. and the regular square dance will run from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Caller will be Leonard Snodgrass, while Jackie Gale will cue round dances.
A pot luck will be held at the break. A donation can will be available for donations to the Sweet Home Fire Department’s Sharing Tree program.
Suggested donation for the dance is $5.
For more information, call (541) 466-5536
Meals on Wheels weekly menu
Meals on Wheels, also known as Your Table or Ours, offers lunch at the Sweet Home Community Center to seniors over 60 at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Suggested donation is $3.50. All meals are served with milk, coffee or tea upon request and diabetic desserts are available on request.
The lunch menu on Friday, Dec. 12, is scalloped potatoes and ham or beef Spanish rice, cut green beans, tossed salad, garlic roll and mocha pudding.
The menu for Monday, Dec. 15, is sweet and sour chicken with rice or pasta primavera, green peas, Asian coleslaw, cornmeal roll and peaches.
The menu for Tuesday, Dec. 16, is turkey or tuna salad sandwich half on wheat bread, cream of broccoli soup, spinach Romaine salad and cinnamon apples.
For more information, call (541) 367-8843.